Young Ember
by munchydino12
Summary: Fire is life; fire is destruction. Korra discovers firsthand what it all means. Pre LoK


A/N: The trailer is full of fire! Atta girl, Korra! This one is for all those firebenders out there :DDD

Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or LoK

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><p><strong>Young Ember<strong>

_a short story_

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><p>Snow, like any other element of weather, had many faces; some soft, some harsh. Today's snowfall was the latter. It pelted to the ground in an icy flurry, covering the igloos and fires with snow. There was no one about, no one foolish enough to get caught in a real blizzard.<p>

"This sucks," muttered Zayu, a pale faced boy of thirteen. He was huddled around a fire in the middle of an igloo. Beside him were his sister and cousin, both wearing thick coats and looking bored though not half as bored as Zayu felt. "We can't even play outside."

His sister Zyla, her bright golden eyes reflecting the dancing glow of the fire, remained silent. To her left was her cousin Korra who was dark-skinned and had her hair tied into three separate ponytails; one pulled back and two framing her face.

"I have an idea," said Korra, looking from Zayu's grumpy face to Zyla's impassive one. Leaning in a bit closer she said in a conspiratorial mock-whisper, "Ghost stories."

Zayu yawned, unimpressed; Zyla seemed mildly shocked by this proposal. Korra waited, knowing what would come next: Zyla would mumble something about not knowing any "good ones" and Zayu would take up the challenge out of pure boredom.

As if on cue Zyla muttered in a tiny, slightly shaking tone, "I.. I can't remember any good ones." Korra turned to Zayu expectantly.

At last, as Korra had predicted, Zayu shrugged as if he could care less and sat up a bit straighter. "Fine," he relented. "Who's going first?"

Zyla seemed to grow paler, clearly scared of the imminent ghost stories but said nothing. She wasn't going to be a spoilsport in front of her brother and cousin. Korra, however, rubbed her hands together eagerly and said, "Okay, how about I go first?" Then, clearing her voice importantly she started in her best spooky voice, "Once upon a time, there was a big blizzard like this one." At that moment the wind howled outside like a pack of starving polar leopards and Zyla shivered. "There was a girl in the village. Her name was Nini-"

"Wait, wait," Zayu interrupted, holding up a hand. Korra threw an annoyed glance at him; she was just getting to the good part.

"What?" she retorted, folding her arms stubbornly. Zayu stared back at her, looking as bored as ever and slightly exasperated.

"I've already heard that one," he replied smoothly. He smirked at the surprised look on his cousin's face.

Korra unfolded her arms and leaned closer to the fire and to Zayu who was across it. "When? Where would you hear a tradition Southern Water Tribe ghost story?" she asked; her annoyance had increased with Zayu's unexpected knowledge.

Zayu rolled his eyes. "Who do you think?"

Defeated, Korra leaned back again, fuming at her cousin's quip. Of course, she'd been stupid to have forgotten. Her cousins were related to her through her mother's brother, Uncle Kaduk, who had spent his entire childhood in the Southern Water Tribe before going abroad to study in the Fire Nation. That was when he had first met his wife and decided to settle down with her there. Naturally, Uncle Kaduk would have had ample chance to tell his children all about his hometown and its traditional ghost stories.

After a moment, Zyla spoke up, her voice slightly louder than before, "Maybe we should talk about something else."

At first, no one responded to this. Then Zayu, as though struck with a sudden idea, leaned in and said, "Hey, I've got it!" He glanced around at Korra and Zyla, smirking. "How about- instead of ghost stories- we tell Fire Nation legends?"

Zyla seemed to cheer up at this, evidently pleased she had escaped the ghost stories but it was Korra's turn to be bored. Fire Nation legends? It wasn't as though she had any to tell; both her parents were from the Water Tribes.

Ignoring Korra's insufferable expression, Zayu took a deep breath before beginning.

"Ahem, this one is something I heard from granddad back when he was still alive," Zayu began, checking to make sure the girls were hanging on his every word. "It's the legend of the great Firelord Zuko."

"One of the founders of Republic City," Korra supplied, sitting up straighter. Everyone knew about the famous founders of Republic City. Although Korra couldn't remember the details, she had heard from a very young age about the heroes who had helped end the Hundred Year War, or as some people simply called it, The War. The now deceased Firelord and the previous Avatar had been part of the celebrated group of heroes.

"Yeah, Republic City," Zayu nodded. "Anyways, before the end of The War, Firelord Zuko went to the ancient city of the Sun Warriors to learn the true way of the sacred art of firebending. Some people say he even met the master Shaw and Ran who were real dragons. The last, according to granddad."

Despite herself, Korra was enthralled by the tale, though she tried her best not to show it. Secretly, even when she'd started learning waterbending from the village master, she'd dreamed of bending fire, manipulating flames and even igniting fireworks into the night sky. No firebenders currently lived in the Water Tribe, but a few years ago, a travelling circus had come on a round-the-world tour and Korra had seen firsthand the beautiful art of firebending. Ever since then, she'd been badgering her cousins, both amateur firebenders, to show her, though her aunt had strictly forbid them to until they were older.

"He actually learned firebending from the dragons?" Korra asked in awe.

"Well, that's what my granddad said," Zayu shrugged as if it were of no importance. "Anyways, Firelord Zuko was a great firebender even before learning from the masters. He probably was unstoppable after he learned the secret. He even taught Avatar Aang to firebend."

Zyla hadn't spoken throughout the whole story but suddenly, as though in a daydream, she lifted her hand slightly and brought a small flame from the campfire, cupping it in her hands. Zayu watched her but didn't say anything. Korra held her breath, eyeing the glowing ember in her cousin's small hands.

"Grandad told us fire was life," Zyla whispered almost to herself. She inhaled slightly and the flame grew in size like a fast-growing plant. "But he also warned us it was destructive." She closed her palm on the flame and it was extinguished in a puff of smoke.

"Yeah, well so are all the other elements, when you put it that way," Zayu said offhandedly, gazing up at the iced ceiling of their igloo. "Water's just as dangerous as fire is. Dad says so."

Korra silently mulled over what her cousins had said in her head. The truth was, fire excited her. She had been born in a frozen land, surrounded by water and with the ability to control it. She had played with the village kids, experimenting with the snow and trading tricks with other benders. One time she had built a miniature hailstorm with a group of other kids until her mother caught her at it and grounded Korra for a week. But fire had always drawn her like a snow leopard to jerky. The flickering flames, the cheerful light, the incandescent warmth; all of it amazed her. Her cousins were right: fire was life. Of course, there was the flipside of fire: destruction. But even that didn't put her off. That just meant fire could be used as a means to defend, protect, and survive. What was so bad about that?

"-go outside now?"

"What?" Korra snapped out of her reverie to come nose to nose with Zayu who was looking at her questioningly. She hadn't noticed him move.

"I said, 'do you want to go outside now'. The storm's died down."

Zayu was quite right. The mouth of the igloo had been covered with animal skin but it had stopped shaking and the wind was no longer howling. Korra got up, followed by her cousins. She undid the knots tying down the animal skin tarp and stepped outside. The sky was darkening but the storm had definitely died down. Korra, Zayu, and Zyla stood knee-deep in the snow. They were alone; everyone else seemed to be inside.

"Guess we should go back inside," Korra said. "It'll be night soo-"

A snowball smacked the side of her head and Korra gasped as the powdered ice fell into her clothes, melting on contact with her skin.

She wheeled around to see Zayu half running, half staggering through the snow toward the outskirts of the village to the mountains.

"Why that little-"

Korra tore after him, leaving Zyla standing alone at the mouth of their igloo. When she caught up to him, Korra was planning to waterbend him into a real-life snowman and roll him down the hill to the village.

Zayu was a fast runner with his slight build but back in the Fire Nation, he wasn't used to being surrounded by snow all year. Korra was gaining on him fast, the frigid air slapping her cheeks, her ragged breath rising in ghostly puffs in front of her.

They quickly reached the top of the nearest slope. The village was still in sight but now only glowing lights could be clearly discernable in the nearing darkness. Korra lifted her arms in front of her, spread her fingers and lifted a block of snow from the ground and hurled it at Zayu who was still sprinting a few feet in front of her. It hit him squarely in the back, the force of which knocked him flat on his face deep in the snow.

"Ha! Gotcha now!" Korra crowed triumphantly, stopping to inspect her work. Zayu lifted himself out of the human-shaped hole he had punched into the snow and wiped his face.

"That's cheating! I can't waterbend!" he complained, dusting his parka and turning his hood inside out.

"So what? You can firebend." Said Korra matter-of-factly, shaping a snowball idly in midair with a gentle pushing motion. Zayu eyed her and the snowball warily, calculating how best to play this situation out.

"You really want to see some firebending?" he teased, shifting his stance and holding his glowed fingers out in front of him. Korra was unfazed. She'd seen Zayu firebend before and he was very much short of being a master in her opinion.

"Ooh, I'm so scared," Korra goaded him, shaping another snowball, a slightly bigger one this time, and levitating it. "Whatcha gonna do? Scare me off with some sparks?"

She resumed making snowballs. Soon there were half a dozen of them, each different in size, orbiting her as though the waterbender were some strange sun. In the growing darkness, she could still see the determined glare in Zayu's golden eyes. Heat seemed to be radiating from him and Korra saw that the topmost layer of snow surrounding him was melting.

"My mom taught me a couple of tricks last summer," Zayu said, clenching his hands into a fist. "I'll be able to melt anything you throw at me."

Korra took up the challenge and hurled all six of the snowballs at him. With lightning speed precision, Zayu punched in the direction of the snowballs, bursts of flames erupting from his fists and melting the snowballs on contact.

It was Korra's turn again. This time, she swept her arms upward, creating a thick wall of snow between her and Zayu. Once the wall completely blocked his view, she darted out from behind it, waterbending three snowballs at him.

Zayu was ready for her. He made fluid circular motions with his arm and produced a bright strip of flame. With a mighty swing, he whipped snowballs with the flame, reducing them to puddles of water.

Amazed, Korra dropped her next line of snowballs to the ground and just stood there, staring at him.

"Are you quitting?" Zayu taunted, a mixture of triumph and relief on his face. It was really dark now. The snow was falling thicker than it had been a few minutes ago. If they stayed any longer, it would be a chore getting back to the village, even with the lights to guide them.

"Not even close," Korra called back. "I just wanted to try that move you just did."

"What move?" Zayu shouted back. He had to shout because the wind was picking up again. It whistled and wailed in their ears, chilling their faces.

"That whip thing you just did!" Korra was shouting too even though she wasn't too far from him.

"That's a firebending move, dummy!" Zayu yelled back. He stood his ground in case Korra's sudden surrender was just a ploy to draw him closer. "You can't bend fire!"

Korra frowned. "I can try!" she retorted and shifted her stance to match his. Lifting her arms, she exhaled. The wind was really slapping her around now; the snow was now piling inch-thick on her clothes. She could barely see Zayu in the growing darkness.

Zayu seemed amused. He dropped his stance and walked towards her. "Come on, Korra, let's go home. The storm's starting up again." He reached her side but Korra hadn't dropped her stance. She raised her arms, making Zayu recoil.

"Don't start throwing snowballs! We're done!" He stepped back, raising his hands in front of him.

Korra didn't answer him. She blocked out the snow, the wailing wind, the near-total darkness and Zayu's continued urges for her to drop it and go home. She raised her arms in front of her, trying to focus on the image of Zayu creating the fire whip.

"Come on, Korra, let's go!" Zayu bellowed, starting his trek back. He figured she'd follow him if he pretended to leave her but it was only a few minutes before he realized she wasn't running to catch up with him.

Letting out a frustrated grunt, he wheeled around in the knee deep snow, careful not to fall over in the firce wind.

"KORRA, I SAID-"

But he never got to finish. Though the snow was falling thicker and faster, the sky pitch-black and wind causing him to teeter on the spot, what he saw drove everything from his mind.

Korra hadn't even noticed Zayu walking away from her. She was focus on the image. In her mind, she watched Zayu repeating the move in slow motion. The graceful, fluid motion of his arms, the slight flick of his wrist as the flames formed. The enhanced glow of his flame as it materialized into life…

She moved; her arms circling the air, imagining a serpent's tongue of fire, she exhaled deeply and then-

With a flick of her wrist, a bright belt of fire, much bigger than Zayu had conjured, materialized into existence. She was caught off guard but managed to grip it and flick it once in the air, the blazing whip slashing the night, melting the surrounding snow and then disappearing as Korra released it.

Suddenly, she felt someone tap her on the back. She turned to see Zayu, staring at her in amazement. Snow was covering his shoulders and hood. He also looked frozen to the bone but he didn't seem to notice.

After a moment, Korra came to her senses. If they didn't hurry, soon, they would probably freeze to death. Without a second's hesitation, she took Zayu, who was still too stunned to speak, by the arm and started to quickly cut a path through the snow back home.

_Fire is life; fire is destruction._

All the way back home, the words rang in her head. Neither she nor her cousin said a word, both deep in thought. She had been able to produce fire. Was she actually a firebender? But she had always been able to waterbend. She had been taught at an early age, applauded for being a natural by her parents and her friends. But she always yearned, hadn't she? She had always yearned to be part of fire, for fire to be part of her.

They reached the village. In the light of the torch fires that lined the street, they recognized the adults grouped around the entrance to their igloo. Their parents were waiting for them. They converged on the two with half-worried, half-angry expressions.

"Where have you two been?" Korra's mother asked angrily. "We've been worried sick!"

"They're safe, honey, let's just get them inside. Zyla's already in bed." Korra's dad tried to usher the two frozen children into the igloo but Zayu brushed his hand away.

"I have something important to tell you all." He announced to the four adults. Korra and Zayu's dads looked taken aback. The mothers looked slightly furious at the two kids. Judge by the amount of snow that had piled on their heads, they'd been waiting for a while.

Taking a deep breath, Zayu said the words that would change Korra's life forever. "Korra is the the new Avatar."

The wind howled, wailing in the dark, snow drifting thick fast to the ground. The flickering torches made their shadows dance on the white piles of snow. Korra stared at the flames, the light playing patterns on her face.

Fire, a two bladed sword. She had wanted it, had yearned for it. She had thought she had understood. Now she knew she hardly understood anything. The thing she had so desperately wanted to control had borne her a new destiny and had effectively burned her old one into smoldering ash.

_Fire is life; fire is destruction._ It was as simple as that.

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><p>Review please? :D<p> 


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